Hello everyone. I have a couple questions I'm hoping to get answered. In the book Rhode Island: A Guide to the Smallest State By Federal Writers' Project (p.46) it says:

"After the new Federal Constitution had been adopted by its framers, Rhode Island delayed until 1790 before calling a State convention to ratify the new instrument of government. In July, 1789, Congress sought to force Rhode Island into the Union by placing the State (and also North Carolina, which had not ratified) outside the revenue limits of the rest of the country, but it postponed enforcement of this dicriminatory act to 1790."

Can someone please tell me what it means to put RI "outside the revenue limits of the rest of the country?"

The three threats that are mentioned are to put RI "outside the revenue limits of the rest of the country" as well as a "trade embargo" and "having its exports taxed as a foreign nation." Are these the same thing or three seperate deeds going on?

Furthermore, according to Butler Shaffer, "Even as the Constitution was undergoing ratification — but after the requisite nine states had approved the document so as to bring it into fruition — the resulting United States government threatened the recalcitrant state of Rhode Island with invasion and a blockade of its port should it fail to ratify. Rhode Island can truly be said to be the first victim of American imperialism!"